Sheet material for curing and protecting concrete and method of making



.June 4, 1935. E. ANGIER v 2,003,988 SHEET KATERIAL FOR CURING ANP PROTECTING CONCRETE AND METHOD OF MAKING .Filedfiari'. 12. 1952 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED; STATES SHEET MATERIAL 2,003,988 I p FoEjoURING AND-PRO- TECTING CONCRETE AND M OD O MAKING Edward H. Angier, Framingham, Application January 12. 1932, Serial No. 586,193 p 3 Claims.

My present invention is a novel and improved concrete curing mat, cover, or blanket of the general type shown, illustrated, and described, in my copending applications, Ser. No. 550,162, filed July 11,1931 and Ser. No. 583,619, -filed'December 29, 1931. I I

My present invention is more particularly directed to the type of concrete curing cover or mat for use in curing concrete road surfaces, as shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 550,162, filed July 11, 1931, wherein I have shown and claimed broadly a road covering mat or cover having depending flanges to protect the sides of the concrete work in the roadway, and my present invention is directed mainly to this type of mat, wherein I have provided novel means for interlocking the ends, and preferably, novel means for providing the ends of the strip with means to facilitate handling, as in rolling, laying, transporting, etc.

A further novelty in the presentconstruction is to provide a mat which may be capable of permitting further application of moisture through the protecting mat or cover without removing same when such additional application of moisture is desired during curing, as well as to also permit escape of excessive heat therethrough from the concrete.

I-Ieretofore, it has been usually necessary to remove entirely the covering material over concrete where a waterproof layer was utilized. In my present invention I have provided a waterproof protecting cover which also may have a plurality of openings therethrough to permit further application of moisture without removing the same, these openings being sufficiently small in size and area so as not to detract or deter from the protecting and curing quality of the mat.

In articles of the type to which the present invention relates, it is not customary to make a protecting and covering mat of more than 50' or in length because of the manufacturing difiiculties and because of the handling of same in the work, although greater lengths are possible. It is, therefore, necessary to lay a plurality of strips of covering or protecting mats, end to end, and one of the features of my present invention is to provide the end portions of these strips with interlocking means, which preferably will also facilitate the rolling up of the mat into a sufiiciently compact form for transporting, laying, and unrolling on the concrete surface to be treated, and again rolling up the mat for removingand transporting to a furthersection for re-use of same. Further advantages, 'details, and novel "fea- 4 tures will behe reinafter more fully pointed out and claimed. 5

Referring to thed'rawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, 4

Fig. 1 is a'frag'mentary cross-sectional view of one form of my road covering mat for ouring concrete, with depending flanges; I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with the interlocking means at the ends, and showing, in this instance, the perforations for additional appli'cation of moisture therethrough, if desired;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the interlocking of a series of protecting mats embodying my invention,-'end to end;

Fig. i is a modified form of the interlocking devicesillustrated on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 shows the rolled-up'mat of Fig. 1:. 20

As explained in aid prior applications, and as shown in the present drawing, my protecting mat, designated generallyat I, is preferably made of a plurality of strips 2,3, and 4, of equal length and united "at 'the respective sides eithr'byc'ment, stitchingjor'any other v suitable means, the form shown in Fig. 1 being united by cement as the simplest embodiment of the invention, and with the outermost layers 2 and 4 provided with flanges 5 and 6 for covering the edges when in depending position, as shown in dotted lines, and as more fully described in my prior application, Ser. No. 550,162, filed July 11, 1931. These strips and the resulting mat are preferably made of waterproof or water-repellent sheet material, such for example, as burlap united with paper and treated with asphalt, or the like, to render same water-repellent and waterproof, or one or more layers of paper waterproofed. A plurality of openings or recesses ID are provided through the mat to permit water to flow through for further moistening of the concrete underneath during curing or for the escape of excessive heat, when such a method is desired, although ordinarily the curing mat is imperforate, as shown in Fig. 1.

However, on certain types of construction, and particularly during certain seasons and weather conditions, it may be desirable to use the perforated layer which permits water to flow through to the concrete to facilitate its setting properly.

At each end of the completed strip l, which may be 60' in length, I provide interlocking means consisting of flanged portions [2, united by stitching I3 to each end. On one end of 55 the completed strip I, the flange l2 would be depending or extending downwardly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, while at the other end of the same strip I, the corresponding interlocking flange l4 would be on the reverse side or upstanding. Thus, the downturned flange l2 at one end of the next adjacent strip would interlock with the upturned flange M at the corresponding end of the mat I. These flanges l2 and I4 may be, and preferably are, of the same material as the mat or may be made of different material to give rigidity cross-wise of the entire mat I and at each end, which would facilitate their use as means for rolling up the entire length of the mat and moving it.

Heretofore it has been customary when using waterproof paper for such purposes to have a wooden roller or bar on which the mats were rolled for convenience in handling, transporting, and moving, as well as unrolling and applying. Such separate rollers, however, were cumbersome and would tear the end edges of the cover in attempting to roll the same. My present invention obviates these former difiiculties and provides an integral interlocking means,which will also facilitate the rolling, unrolling, and handling.

In Fig. 4 I have shown such interlocking and protecting devices as a pair of boards or slats l6 and I1, shown oversized in the drawing, which maybe secured in any suitable way across the edge of the mat I, and a corresponding pair of slats l8 and I!) at the opposite edge of the mat, also shown greatly enlarged in the drawing. This facilitates interlocking the edges, permitting a stretching strain to be applied throughout the length of the mat, or series of mats, thus interlocked when being laid,-keeping the same stretched fiatwise across the concrete being treated, preventing displacement by wind, or otherwise, and also serving at all times to facilitate handling of the entire mat, both fitting the same on the concrete being cured and rolling it up. V

Fig. illustrates such a roll 2110f the mat, with the slats l6 and IT as a center or core. This feature of having interlocking ends, as well as means for rolling and unrolling, as well as stretching the mat and keeping the mat in shape and condition, may be applied to other concrete covers, whether with depending flanges 5 and 6, of my said prior inventions or otherwise.

I believe that the features of interlocking end construction, of means permanently associated with the mat for maintaining it flatwise, eliminating wrinkles, etc., and rolling up and handling, and with a concrete curing cover or mat of waterproof material but with perforations therethrough for subsequent application of moisture to the concrete, or the escape of heat in concrete, without removing the waterproof covering, are all distinct novelties in this art and I wish to claim the same herein broadly.

I claim:

1. The improved process of curing concrete which consists in laying the concrete, then applying to its upper surface a waterproof repellent material to normally protect the concrete from rapid escape of moisture, while permitting escape of excessive heat through the cover.

2. The improved process of curing concrete which consists in laying the concrete, then applying to its upper surface a water-proof repellent material to normally protect the concrete from rapid escape of moisture, while permitting escape of excessive heat through relatively small holes at predetermined spaced intervals in the cover, and the adding of additional water, if desired, through said holes without removing the cover to complete the curing of the concrete.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a relatively large concrete curing cover of water repellent material, having a plurality of small perforations substantially spaced apart, whereby the cover will effect the curing of the concrete without permitting substantial evaporation through said holes but will permit escape of excessive heat therethrough and have capacity for the addition of further water without removing said cover.

' EDWARD H. ANGIER. 

